Category Archives: Stress Reduction

Let’s Get To Steppin’!

Step Up

Is anyone else struggling to get enough extra movement into their day?

If the heat index isn’t shooting down walks outdoors that might happen any later than 7 am, it’s poor air quality from the Canadian wildfire smoke drifting over our area – or a million other things.

Geez – finding an excuse NOT to exercise is terribly easy.

Truth be told – I do not like being sedentary. My body gets antsy if I sit for long periods. The reminders to stand and move from my watch are a blessed relief I am now using to ‘tweak’ into expanded benefits.

When that reminder buzzes me out of my writer’s concentration:

  • I grab the water jug by the computer and take a stroll back and forth in my upstairs loft,
  • Drinking at least 8 ounces of water enhanced with some Liquid IV –
  • Followed by a quick minute or two of either planks OR this blast from the past: Graduated Steps.

Going through the archives of videos I have posted here on foodtalk4you, I discovered this old gem about Graduated Steps.

In the video, I explain how to do the exercise using 20 steps for each level, but lately, I am doing just 10 steps for each level because I want to get back to work. With 10 steps each, I do this mini- exercise routine in under 2 minutes – perfect for a quick break from sitting.

FINAL STEP VIDEO

Granted, 10 repetitions are not all that challenging for me, but it does get the blood circulating and helps energize my mind. You can see on the video, 20 repetitions caused my talking to be a little ‘breathy’ toward the end – showing what an excellent exercise it is.

You can tailor Graduated Steps to fit your own fitness goals, time, and abilities. This is tremendous for building and maintaining balance both at the beginning and end of the routine – but always safe if you stay near a counter-top or chair back.

Check out the video of my demonstration and then customize the routine for yourself.

Okay – back I go to finish the last self-editing round for Toolkit for Caregivers, before sending it off to the editors. I am so excited to be taking this flagship double book to the next level to reach even more caregivers with words of hope, wisdom, and confidence-building skills.

Let me know how you are doing with Graduated Steps in the comments!

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In health –

Deidre

Battling Our Trials And Achieving Success!

Struggle and Gratitude 

Most everything worth doing or achieving contains struggles. 

As we pause in the USA to remember our nation’s history and its path to independence, all our foodtalk4you readers around the world should take a moment to recognize and honor their own personal struggles, and how they dug deep within themselves to get to the other side of those challenges. 

We have had more than a few challenges this week at our blog site.  

Our editor, Sheree Alderman, is probably shopping for a wig because she might have pulled out all her curly red locks. She had to untangle technical difficulties many layers deep to rebroadcast last week’s post to alert you of an important poster and linkage, showing the signs and symptoms of heart attacks. Please check that post out HERE – it makes so much more sense with the poster. 

Trying to unravel that problem opened a hornet’s nest of other woes – but with perseverance and an undauntable mindset, she finally got the clarification and technical help she needed.  

My heart is full of gratitude for Sheree and for the one person who finally helped her – and us – otherwise, you would not be reading this.  

And a big thank you goes to a long-time reader of foodtalk4you and author, Shaun L. Griffiths, in Poland, who alerted me of the missing link. I’ve reviewed Shaun’s books on foodtalk4you before – do check out his awesome young adult fantasy books HERE.

Sheree is an author as well! Check out her beautiful and inspiring children’s books HERE.

Speaking of books and gratitude – my deepest thanks to each one of you who so generously pre-ordered my future new release, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions. Your identities are hidden from my eyes, but I am so touched and humbled by your support for this book and its success.  

You also know by now that your pre-order has been canceled. The Emotions book is still going to be published, but the time frame for that new release could not be modified enough, following Amazon’s guidelines, to get the job done in the way I wanted. 

As I mentioned in the 20 June post, the Caregiver Series is going to get the ‘Cadillac treatment’ it deserves through new cover designs, formatting, advertising – the works. I am creating added follow-up support for readers based upon their needs. This all takes time, effort, and perseverance through struggles.  

So, let’s all pause for a moment to reflect on what personal characteristics have helped us move through the challenges of life. How did you power through adversity? How did you find inspiration, the answer to a problem, or that last burst of energy? What priority did you use to do the right thing? How did you find patience? 

Those are great starting points for writing that personal identity and affirmation statement I wrote about on the 20th – have you penned yours, yet? Please let me know if you have and how you use it. 

I am enough. 

I am learning. 

I am changing and growing. 

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In health and gratitude –  

Deidre  

Note from Sheree: We’re just real people here behind your computer screen, working hard every week to share our knowledge, experiences – and sometimes, the chaotic and crazy moments of our everyday lives.  

Happy Independence Day – Let freedom ring! S’  

Is Your Heart Attacking You? UPDATE: New Links Included!

Subtle is an adjective used especially to denote a change or distinction, so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe. 

With heart attacks, men are usually not subtle. Men more often experience the classic chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness. They frequently describe the feeling of, “an elephant sitting on their chests.” 

Women? Not so much.  

Check out the difference in heart attack symptoms between the sexes. 

You can see in everyday life how women’s symptoms could go unrecognized. Just last week I was feeling: 

Tired? Absolutely! Who wouldn’t be after the fun-filled week I had been having with extra activities outdoors – (closed those exercise rings, buddy!), cooking extra yummy food for gatherings, visiting with family, Graduation party, Father’s Day cook out, and writing for my books. 

Indigestion? I might get heartburn once every week – especially with spicy foods. Nothing unusual. 

Extreme fatigue? I had said to our company I was exhausted before retiring that night – especially when I just learned we’d be getting up extra early to take them to the airport, and we were slated to keep going on down the road to visit more family. 

Stress on board? Oh yes, especially since I had just learned I would not be able to push the publication date of my Caregiver Emotions book to any day later than September 1st.  

But climbing into bed did not generate that ahhh feeling. Nope. That area of … pain? … just under my left shoulder blade would not go away. 

Hmmm. Had I pulled a muscle? Not that I could recall. Those baking dishes had been heavy … 

No other symptoms. Things didn’t get worse, and I was able to finally get comfortable and sleep a couple hours later to awaken pain free in the morning. 

Hmmm. That had been a new place for me to feel heart-related discomfort. I was still pretty tired and now I was torn about what to do. 

Can you sense the indecision in evaluating all of these subtleties?  

There’s one hard and fast rule I always taught my students and have always tried to follow for myself: 

PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE HAVING HEART ISSUES DO NOT HAVE A BRAIN TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. 

Do not listen to a possible heart attack victim about not going to the hospital – they really do not have the ability – or medical degree or diagnostic equipment – to make that choice.  

If others say you should get checked out, then get checked out. 

So, my schedule that morning got changed, and I got checked out. 

EKG was good. Blood work was done to verify there were no bad markers and no blood clots. Chest x-ray was normal.  

No heart attack.  

Would I go to the ER again? 

Absolutely! 

I also will manage my personal commitments better. The Emotions book will be published just fine a little earlier than I had hoped. It’s all good. 

So, bottom line – learn the subtleties of heart attack symptoms and don’t hesitate to get checked out. The best treatment is prevention, and an excellent summary can be found here: HEART ATTACK PREVENTION.

Share this post with someone you love using the options under the MORE button below. 

In health – 

Deidre  

I Did A Thing

There’s a new mindset in town.

In my town.

Where I live.

Inside my brain.

Yup.

I’ve switched from dabbling, dreaming, and hoping to full-on commitment. The thought process that kept me in a hobby, pastime, or side hustle has been jettisoned.

The message of health that is possible for everyone, and the caregiver support tools that have been gifted to me through hard-earned, insight-giving life experiences, are what drive me.

If people can’t access my books and presentations, then my efforts are in vain.

Therefore, I am taking my authorship and speaking events to a full-time business level.

Yes, I recently relaunched my moderately successful, Toolkit for Caregivers, and have put, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, on pre-order status on Amazon; but, I am now aiming for something even better that will get the expertise I offer into many more knowledge-seeking hands.

There will be a new look, feel, and additional tools of support for readers with more helpful follow-up. Professional landing page, podcasts, social media – the whole package.

Details of what this will look like will be shared in coming posts; but what I am learning in this process, is transformative. With over 30 hours of training to help me in this process thus far, my head is exploding with information.

Whatever the project, starting with boosting the mindset, is key – and that is the segue into today’s message for you!

Seems that I write about a positive mental attitude all the time but – hold on. Even tweaking what I already knew and believed, has helped me so much that I must share.

Remember the movie, “The Help”? What a beautiful message of hope and self-worth! Consider the following quotes from the main character played by Viola Davis:

“… and that’s when I get to wondering, what would happen if I told her she something good, ever day?

Ever morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision. You gone have to ask yourself, am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?

That’s the way prayer do. It’s like electricity, it keeps things going.

You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”

When I viewed this movie in the theater, we almost joined in the chant: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” – because we knew that the little girl desperately needed to hear that message deep down inside her heart and soul.

The little girl eventually declared to Viola’s character, “Aibee, you’re my real mama.” Why? Because she was being nurtured, loved, and accepted by her.

When each of us starts the day, we need to nurture ourselves.

I’ve learned that by creating a personal identity and affirmation statement and reading it aloud to ourselves each day, we can transform the path we take and the results we can achieve.

Here’s how some people create their identity/affirmation statement:

Possibly start with your name and research its meaning. The speaker who taught me this was named Aaron – meaning mountain of strength, exalted, and strong. Wow! His approach didn’t work for me because “Deidre/Deirdre,” died of unrequited love. Geez.

Embrace your positive qualities and how you currently, or strive to,reveal those characteristics.

What are your positive beliefs and how are they being expressed in your life?

Declare who you are. Think about the quote from Viola to the little girl.

Tenderly and superlatively remind yourself of all the good that is in you, how you want to move forward, and include how, “You’ve got this.”

Pen on paper. Edited as I put the ramblings into the computer. Printed out. Put into a protective sleeve. Read aloud every morning to myself.

Better than a double shot of espresso.

Take a picture of yourself holding your statement.

This is powerful stuff.

In health –

Deidre

If this post gave you a boost – you know what to do. Share! Use the options under the MORE button below – and let me know what you think.

Thoughts, Memories, and Eats

What the camera never saw –

Do you take pictures of your food at restaurants?

I’ve tried to stop doing that all together, except to share pictures with family based on some special aspect significant or meaningful to us.

Sometimes, there’s such a wow factor to a meal’s presentation, a picture seems appropriate to remember that special moment.

When my arms were not full of my beautiful new grandson – okay, gorgeous – I had been helping in the kitchen whenever possible during our recent trip to Hawaii.

I try to stay camera-ready at home during food preparation – what’s that term? “Mise en place” – in anticipation of sharing recipes with you, but not so much this past month.

Great recipes.

Great meals.

New ideas.

Old favorites.

No pictures.

No worries. Sheree will scour the internet for pictures, I am sure, that will help with visualization. (Sheree: Of course! And I’m late today. Forgive me!)

Still open on my phone are several recipes we have used recently that may inspire you as well.

When we were seeking comfort food, my daughter requested the, “meatloaf of her youth.” It was not hard to Google: Ann Lander’s Meatloaf, which I have tweaked to eliminate the Accent seasoning and the bacon on top. Here’s your downloadable recipe right here:


My sweetheart inspired a quest to buy some Tapenade while we were perusing the grocery stores, but – alas – none could be found. Not to be outdone, we acquired the necessary ingredients to make our own, which we have done twice. Once using knives and cutting boards in tandem, and once using a food processor.

Here’s how we did it:


The Moroccan Roasted Chicken using ‘preserved lemon’ will have to wait for another post – there’s much to tell and share with you about creating a sauce out of paper thin sliced onions, a tasty marinade rub, and slow roasting magic.

Returning home will herald a new commitment to focused planning, writing, and learning as I am entering a new phase of creating a more professional polish for and launch/relaunch of my Caregiver Book Series.

New books and supplemental materials that complement current publications are on the drawing board to help serve the needs of those who purchase my books.

There will be much to share that’s applicable to all foodtalk4you readers in daily life (how to rock a 90-day plan), and for current and aspiring authors looking for direction.

Sharing this post is easy – just use the options under the MORE button below.

In health –

Deidre

Flora From A Walk

Wrapping up our extended stay here in Kona, Hawaii, we continue to marvel at the sights and sounds of the area.

We will sorely miss the sounds featured in last week’s post, when we return home on the mainland, along with the daily eye candy of flowers seemingly constantly in bloom.

The main reason for visiting here is family – gathering around a beautiful new life and marveling at the daily changes – so, we are not going on long-walking or hiking treks about the area.

Strangely enough, however, the motivation of closing those circles on our Apple watches for standing, exercise, and movement have given us reason to walk back and forth on the long, slopping driveway where we are staying.

Back and forth. Down the hill and up the hill.

Boring?

Hardly.

It’s hard to keep our pace on these walking exercise laps because we want to stop every few steps to admire yet another stunning flower. Even what must be weeds, appear glorious and dignified in their splendors.

Cascades of berry-like structures on the fishtail palm, morph in their curious appearance as different clusters mature – we are advised not to eat these, despite their cranberry-ish appeal.

Hibiscuses thrive here and inspire me to try growing one back home to enjoy, even if only for the summer.

Cinnamon gardenias delight our senses with their long, drooping petals and soft scent as we pass.

Who among us is not in love with Bird of Paradise?

Plumeria – the flower of choice for ladies’ hair – are everywhere and in assorted colors and scents.

Rosemary bushes not only provide visual appeal in their texture, but taste in our cooking; and, in Hawaii at least – a significant source of beautiful flowers.

Exotic fruits growing high up in the trees.

Tiny flowers almost hidden in the base of large red and green leaves.

Not on our daily walk, but there’s a giant flowering cactus at my daughter’s home – it blooms only at night!

We feel like kids in a candy store!

Upon our return home, I’ll be heading to the nurseries to see what I can plant to create a little bit of paradise – North Carolina style.

We love hearing from you! What are you planting to create your own garden oasis?

Aloha!

In health –

Deidre

“Tiny Bubbles, Make Me Feel So Fine” – Sights and Sounds From Hawaii!

Sounds and their sources … 

Isn’t it fun to experience different sights and sounds as we travel?  

Whether we are gazing at magnificent buildings and structures, admiring sunsets from new perspectives, or hearing the deep sounds of the ocean liner horn, new venues fascinate. 

Visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and their beautiful newborn, we are trying to absorb, not only the love of family and the miracle of new life, but also the sights and sounds delighting our eyes and ears in Hawaii. 

Sure, it’s a tropical paradise – especially to the eyes – but we marvel equally at the sounds. 

Oh, the sounds! 

One may think of typical tropical birds – such as green parakeets and parrots – but our days start around 5:15 am with the forte sounds of cock-a-doodle-do, from numerous wild roosters around our semi-countrified, suburban neighborhood! 

Simultaneously, the requisite broods of hens join in greeting the day along with the chirp-chirp of their young – numbering in the double-digits, right outside our open windows, but hidden from sight by the bushes. 

Not to be left out are the turkeys! Wild Tom turkeys, their hens, and their young are excited to vocalize as they stroll about, pecking for breakfast.  

Zebra doves wake up to join the chorus with their familiar cooing – Hawaiian style. 

Not to be out-done, the invasive species of Puerto Rican Coqui frogs end their night-long LOUD chorus with final blasts of “co-KEE” – only to resume at sunset as they destroy the relative calm of night – once owned only by the crickets. 

Take a listen to a Coqui frog:

Myna birds fill the air with their distinctive calls. 

It’s all so fascinating! 

Need a rooster’s help to get you up and going? Listen carefully. Here it is!

Anyone who grew up watching cartoons will tell you that roosters crow at dawn. Ha! They start at dawn and continue until it’s time to roost in the evening! Having not grown up on the farm, I didn’t realize that fact – it took a trip to Hawaii to become enlightened. 

Locally grown fruits and vegetables have their own flair – offering deeper, truer flavors. So, we listen to the backdrop of bird conversations, while our morning papaya bowls satisfy our tropical tastes – complete with Hawaiian granola! 

May your day fascinate wherever you are. Sheree has attached soundtracks I recorded for your enjoyment and relaxation.  

I left the best for last – a melodious song from our feathered friends of the Hawaiian Islands!

Aloha, in health –  

Deidre  

Shhhhh! Cascade – Pass It On

Cascading.

The extent to which we control our health is the subject of my recent deep dives in reading.  

As a culture, we have come to understand that controlling factors in our external environment – along with what we put into our bodies – has a direct correlation to our health and longevity.  

Nicotine, for example, is bad for our lungs and cardiovascular system. The link of cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke to cancer and heart disease was eventually accepted by our society, and policies to restrict its use and exposure to bystanders are now the norm – although that process took decades. 

Not so for other countries around the world who think we are unreasonably possessed and controlling in our zealous quest to stop smoking. They light up whenever and wherever they please, thank you. 

So, it’s easy to see it’s going to be a harder ‘sell’ to shine a light on how influential our inner environment – created by how our thoughts change the chemistry in our body – is on our health. 

Even when I am learning about the influence of positive or negative thinking, the application of my knowledge is spotty. 

Sigh. 

But we learn from our mistakes, right? 

I know that everything I think is my choice. Sure, I may have been conditioned by circumstances to respond to situations in a certain way, but as a reasoning adult with access to the latest information, I can gain tools to think and respond differently.  

One of my new tools is, You Are the Placebo, by Dr. Joe Dispenza. This book is broadening my understanding of what is physically happening when we think and how thought can change so much relating to our health. 

So – returning to last week’s mention of an exploding glass dish that sprayed tiny shards all over my kitchen and beyond – I had a choice to make. 

Explode like that glass bowl – or not. 

After the initial reaction of dismay – this was a marvel in glass breaking, I must admit – I was immediately disheartened at the extent of the damage.  

An open dishwasher with clean dishes exposed to breakage. Open deep drawer of dishes sprayed with glass shards. A just-cleaned floor littered with glass and carpet nine feet away with glitters of glass. 

Everything in sight had to be cleaned, recleaned, and cleaned up again. Broom. Gloves. Vacuum. Wiped. Over and over.  

Surely, I deserved a meltdown or just a bit of rage. You think? 

I knew I was in control of my reaction. My mantra is, after all, my mind believes what I tell it. I needed to be careful how I related to this inconvenience. Really, it was not life-altering, after all. 

The slow burn of discouragement of having all my earlier work wiped away came to a crescendo when I was asked, “What happened”? 

Then I chose to let loose. I chose to label all the negative things directly and capped it off with how ticked off I was.  

So there! 

Probably even a little dramatic. 

I thought venting would help. Wrong. A wave of negativity physically flowed through me even hours later.  

I was emotional earlier in the day. What I was feeling that night was physical. 

Examining why I had chosen to be as emotional as I was at the time, has proven to be helpful. Sometimes there are subplots to our outbursts. 

I am not advocating ignoring emotions – but a few messages were driven home for me.

1) I could have chosen to laugh at the absurdity of my predicament.

2) I could have asked for help.

3) I could have measured my verbal response to be less dramatic.

It was a matter of choice. I am here to tell you that I physically felt the ramifications of that choice hours later. 

We’ve heard, “you are what you eat.” I can add another aspect to that, “you are what you think.” 

Continue the conversation by sharing using the options under the MORE button below. 

Right there learning with you –  

Deidre  

Embrace The New!

New.  

It’s such a short word. 

To some, it inspires excitement and adventure. To others, it terrifies. 

There have been times when I longed for the comfort of sameness. No surprises. Just wind me up and let me go unimpeded.  

I would have loved to just routinely put my dishes away this week. However, a glass bowl virtually exploded in my hand – raining down shards over an open dishwasher filled with clean dishes, and even into an exposed open drawer and beyond! Of course, it then flew over freshly cleaned floors. (More on the aftermath of that next week). 

That was taxing enough, but day-after-day repeats? 

Even good repetitions can be suffocating for me.   

Why? It’s not a matter of being a thrill seeker, but I have a deep desire to not live the same day repeatedly. (Remember the movie Groundhog Day?)  

Why would I want to paint the same picture on every new page? 

My young adult self was very unsure about the concept of the future, setting goals, change, new beginnings, and anything unknown. There was a struggle within between ‘going with the flow’ and ‘being the master of my own ship.’  

As I have aged and have watched and experienced the unpredictability of life for everyone, there is no desire to lather/rinse/repeat with my time. 

Knowing I am the only one in control of my life, even when visiting the same restaurant, I want to branch out from my location-specific choices of old to discover something new.  

Taking a walk this morning saw us on a new path through the neighborhood. Discovering more houses being built inspired us to walk around the build sites, where we observed new interesting home features.  

Even while doing the familiar, there is something for us to discover that is new. We must actively look for it.  

Need I add, it takes us looking away from our cell phones to really see the world around us? To experience something new, we must be present in the moment. 

How are you experiencing newness? Can you do, think, learn, and create something unique or distinctive right now, today, and tomorrow? 

Can you find the blessing in your new experience?  

Speaking of blessings, happy birthday to our editor, Sheree Alderman, who is not only starting a new year, but charting several new courses! It will be a grand ride, Captain! 

In health –  

Deidre  

And Now – The Holistic Angle on Caregiving

For certain, there’s more than one way to tell a story!  

As a practical, roll-up-my-sleeves author who reaches out to caregivers with a skills-oriented how-to approach, I was delighted to become aware of Ilene Nathanson’s book, Caregiving Confidential: Path of Meaning, because of her different style and message. 

Weaving true story vignettes that walk the reader through the unfolding of several common pathways to caregiving, Dr. Nathanson’s passion for the holistic needs of caregivers and care recipients is evident on each page. 

I was immediately drawn into her narrative style that cleverly brought me through the broad range of circumstances that will, ultimately, confront us all – maybe several times in our lives. 

There is no escaping the issue.  

We are all aging.  

Our needs, and the needs of our loved ones, are going to evolve – and most of us are unprepared. 

As a retired chief administrator of graduate social work at Long Island University, with a strong passion for gerontology, her guidance and teaching skills continue in this book and in her co-founding of the New Aging Partnership.  

Did you know that the phrase “aging in place,” is the buzz word not only for longings of the heart, casual conversations, and policy makers, but is also the focus of dozens of new and old industries? 

Retirement communities have been with us for decades, but now there are real estate agents focusing on senior needs, downsizing specialists, senior service agencies, and more – who are all swooping in to meet the unfolding needs of this growing niche market.  

Sandwich generation families are rewriting the book for taking care of parents/grandparents, while juggling the demands of their own children, plus full-time jobs in or outside of the house.  

The dynamics of multi-generational households are different than in previous years. 

This is why Caregiving Confidential is a beautiful place to start. Enjoyable to read and laced with poignant humor – Ilene Nathanson’s book is always spot on. Like me, you will not want to put it down. 

I consider it to be the perfect flashlight for us to use as a primer for this timely topic and a great place to start the aging conversation in our own families. 

We are all about sharing here at foodtalk4you. Please share this post using the options under the MORE button below. 

In health –  

Deidre